Diesel engine valve cover-head



51111614, 1955 R. H. SHEPPARD DIESEL ENGINE VALVE COVER-HEAD Filed Dec. 4, 1952 INVENTOR. Ric/mrd H. She'bard AT ORNE Y.

nited States Patent DIESEL ENGINE VALVE COVER-HEAD Richard H. Sheppard, Hanover, Pa. l

Application December 4, 1952, Serial No. 324,003

3 Claims. (Cl. 12S-90) This invention relates to internal combustion engines and has for its principal object the provision of a head which not only covers the valve operating mechanisms but in addition serves to form a seal against the pressures in the various exhaust ports so that there is less sticking and consequent sluggishness of the exhaust valve stems, the net result being an increase in the life of these stems.

A further object of the invention is to provide a network of angularly related sloping veins on the inside of the cover so arranged that these veins will direct droplets of oil received from the action of the crankshaft, with or without a draft created by the ow of air from the intake manifold to the usual oil-air separator, to positions on the valve side of the engine directly above the rocker arm ends engaging the exhaust valves and the valve rotators, this in turn serving to provide sufficient lubrication of the bearing of the exhaust valve stem in its guiding tube or sleeve which usually has an inverted conical upper portion to serve as a funnel.

An object of the invention is to provide' a simple, substantially fool-proof, inexpensive means for directing oil from the ceiling of the cover to points of greatest need, such means being entirely free of drilled shafts or pipe connections and also requiring no pressure lines which might break or tubes which might become clogged.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the cover;

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical section thru the top of the cover looking to the right thru one of the veins;

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical section thru a vein.

The valve cover-head of the present invention follows usual form in the general outline of the top 10, the valve side wall 11, the opposite wall 12, and in having on the valve side at the top a raised portion 14 having a tapped hole 15 leading air thru a pipe, not shown, from the intake manifold to a vertical passage 16, communicating with the horizontal bore 17 and leading to an oil-air separator, not shown, and forming no part of the present invention exceptthat when used a draft will be formed by the air passing from the intake manifold into the space inside the cover-head.

On the inside upper surface of the valve cover-head which slopes downwardly from the high side 12 to the valve side 11 are arranged a number of veins, generally numbered 2t), and leading, preferably in groups of three each, 'to a low point 21 at the junction of the three veins. In the center of the figure the short vein 20 leading from the valve side is numbered 24 and the veins 20 forming the two arms of the Y, of which 24 is the stem, are numbered 25 and 26 for convenience of description. The arms meet at an angle approximating a right angle, for example, the angle 27 is slightly less than a right angle whereas the corresponding angle 28 is obtuse. Where arms such as 26 and 29 meet at or near the elevated side 12, the angle 30 is acute but approaches a right angle. As best seen in Figures 1 and 2, the short vein 24 leading from the valve side 11 extends normal to the line of the ice rocker shaft 33 to the low point 21, and the adjoining vein 26 extends all the way to the high side 12 of the cover.- head. The location of the low points 21 in each case is such as to bring this point generally'directly above the axis of one of the exhaust valve stems 34 and consequently above the free end of the rocker 35 which turns on the shaft 33 and is operated in the usual fashion by a connection 37 with the push rod 3S, the latter being coaxial with the tube 39 thru which oil enters the space beneath the valve cover-head 10. In accordance with usual practice, a valve rotator 40 is provided and the hollow tube 41, which surrounds the valve stem 34 and forms the guide, is made funnel shaped as at 42, the better to convey oil to the surface of the valve stern. The oil dropping from the several low points 21 therefore materially assists in lubricating the ends of the rocker arms 35, the valve rotators 40 and the exhaust valve stems 34, while forming seals against the positive pressures in the exhaust ports with a consequent increase of valve life as sluggishness and sticking are eliminated.

Oil particles thrown upwardly by centrifugal action of the crankshaft and the cam shaft enter thru tube 39 and strike the bottom of sloping wall 10 of the cover-head. As these oil particles run down this slope of from 10 to 20 they are agglomerated into larger drops by the veins 20 which increases the slope by 4 to 10 at their bottom surfaces and these latter lead to the low points 21 directly above the striking end of the rockers 35. The slope of vein 29 for example is preferably 16 while the slope of vein 26 would be 20 because it is more nearly normal to the axis of shaft 33. The constant dripping from these low points 21 makes the best possible use of the oil in the case by directing such oil as may be available to the points of greatest need, i. e., the top of and the stem of the exhaust valves. The bearing adjusting screw is well lubricated by splash and the oil for the intake valves is limited to the small amount needed between the tops of these valves and their operating levers.

What I claim is:

l. A valve cover-head including a pair of side walls of unequal height and a top sloping from one side wall to the other, a plurality of pairs of veins projecting downwardly from the top, having smooth bottom surfaces sloping at a greater angle than that of the top, and converging from the high side to a point proximate the shorter side, a plurality of additional parallel veins sloping downwardly to said point from the low side and rocker arm operated exhaust valves with their stems directly beneath said points, the angle between the converging Veins being very roughly a right angle.

2. A valve cover-head for dripping oil upon valve gears to lubricate the ends of the rocker arms, the valve rotators, and the exhaust valve stems of an internal combustion engine to provide a better seal for the exhaust valves against the positive pressure in the exhaust ports, which comprises: a one piece body having a sloping top, a high wall, a lower wall, and two side walls, veins extending downwardly frorn the sloping top about a half inch and each having sides converging downwardly to a bottom surface, said veins-being arranged in groups of threes with one of the three being shorter, normal to the lower wall and forming the stem of a Y, the other two veins of the group forming the arms of the Y and joining an arm of an adjoining group at the high wall, the low points of the bottom surfaces of the Ys being at the junction of the stem and arms and each directly above the proximate exhaust valve stem.

3. A valve cover-head for an engine having a plurality of alined exhaust valves comprising a one piece body having a sloping top, a high wall, a lower wall, and two side Walls, and veins projecting downwardly from the sloping top and being arranged in groups of threes with CHQ of the three of each group being shorter, normal to the lower wall and forming the stem of a Y, the other twg veins of the group forming the arms of the Y and joining an arm of an adjacent group at the high wall, so that all drops of oil thrown agaiIiStt-hatvlpertien of theA sloping top adintih@ high wall will he ollectedby the praxirate arms and broughttq thejunetions of the armsand stems 0f; thegroup, vvliih junctions are thevlowjpointsof the groups and are each' directly above a proximateex: haust valve stem whereby to lubricate -the'ends Vof, the rocker arms, lthe valve rotators, and the exhaustvalve stems and thereby provide a better seal for the exhaust valves against the positive pressure in the exhaust ports References Cit/ed. in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,403,540 Church Jan. 17, 1922 1,687,780 Neale Oct. 16, 1928 2,397,882 Paxman Apr. 2, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS 622,105 France, May 24, 1927 

